At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

My Review:

I love how Riordan takes actual Greek myths and continues them into the present day. He paints a picture that brings the old and the new together into a single, seamless reality. This story has some good laughs, some thoughtful moments, a few times that tug at your heart, and lots of adventure and suspense.

This novel is much more emotionally intense with more real life growing pains for the characters than its predecessors. Riordan works just enough allusion to the previous novel to jog your memory without recapping the entire story. He continues his tale in a very vivid manner. Riordan’s descriptions make you feel like you’re watching a movie, rather than reading a novel. You are able to visualise each and every element of this phenomenal tale. He incorporates brilliant battle scenes into the novel are exciting without being gory.

Seeing the views of the different characters means that there isn’t 1 or 2 main characters, but rather many. Each is equally important and uniquely developed. You really get to know the various characters in depth throughout the series. I love how they continue to grow both as individuals and as a team. Through his brilliant character development Riordan shows that even the gods have a touch of humanity.

The way that Riordan writes you don’t have to try to immerse yourself in the story. Riordan’s fun, approachable writing style draws you in. Overall, this is a brilliant read for pre-teens and up. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone. It is a phenomenal addition to the series, but you’ll really enjoy it more if you read the rest of the series first. I completely enjoyed this riveting tale and can’t wait for more from this brilliant author.